Until we realign our society with people rather than profit, all these people-eating machines will keep eating people

Hansen told me that, for the next 19 years, she avoided the subject of fluorochemicals with the same intensity with which she had once pursued it. She focused on raising her kids and coaching a cross-country ski team; she worked a variety of jobs at 3M, none related to fluorochemicals. In 2002, when 3M announced that it would be replacing PFOS with another fluorochemical, PFBS, Hansen knew that it, too, would remain in the environment indefinitely. Still, she decided not to involve herself. She skipped over articles about the chemicals in scientific journals and newspapers, where they were starting to be linked to possible developmental, immune system and liver problems. (In 2006, after the EPA accused 3M of violating the Toxic Substances Control Act, in part by repeatedly ­failing to disclose the harms of fluorochemicals promptly, the company agreed to pay a small penalty of $1.5 million, without admitting wrongdoing.)

— Sharon Lerner, "Toxic Gaslighting How 3M Executives Convinced a Scientist the Forever Chemicals She Found in Human Blood Were Safe"

The scale of harm reported in Lerner's story is overwhelming 😳

As though it's not enough to be learning that PFAS chemicals are harmful and everywhere, we learn that the executives of the company making the stuff had a pretty good idea it wasn't good for us or the environment—in the '70s—but decided to keep making it anyway. For profit.

Again.

This isn't a problem that can be fixed by changing any one company. They're all like this. Every for-profit corporation on the planet will eat you and your family and everyone you know, for profit. Some rich assholes will have signed the order while thinking of nothing more than how much richer they'll be after their people-eating machine eats more people. That's the nature of this beast. Until we realign our society with people rather than profit, all these people-eating machines will keep eating people.

You are people.

If you would rather not be eaten, and you think it's generally a bad idea to make people-eating machines in the first place, then you, my friend, are an anti-capitalist.

Welcome.

We have a lot of work to do.

#ProPublica #Journalism #3M #PFAS #AntiCapitalist

As the tendency is quite clear, I tell you, what this symbol stands for (in Germany), before the poll will end:

It's not about this exact yellow color.
If you see a person wearing some kind of "bracelet" or a band around its upper arm, that shows a yellow circle that contains three black circles, it means that the person is visually impaired or blind.

There can be situations where this information getting upfront is helpful, for both the person showing its impairment as well as other persons interacting with them.

So, it seems that this symbol is quite unknow in large parts of the world.
As far as I know, the German Association for the Blind is in talks with the EU to spread information about its usage.

Update:
A blind friend I talked about this symbol stated that it's usage is
frowned upon as it recognizes them of the marking of disabled persons in the Third Reich (World War II).
That's why many blind people do NOT wear this symbol.
#blind #blindness #visualImpairment #disabled

A story my Dad told me during the single digit years of childhood...

He read in the newspaper about a man who lived in Las Vegas who made his livelihood via gambling every day.

He set down rules for himself, had the self-discipline to never change those rules.

The man would visit the Casino every day, and begin with a budget of $20.00.

Maximum.

Whenever he lost that initial $20.00, then that was it for the day.

He left the casino and enjoyed the rest of his day.

Other times, his initial "Seed Money" of $20.00, via subsequent betting, would grow.

Whenever that Total Daily Winnings reached a certain dollar amount, I can't recall whatever that amount was, this man would cash out and leave the Casino.

No matter how much of a "roll" he was on, or sudden big bet winnings, once he reached his daily target number, or surpassed it, he quit for the day.

He wasn't greedy, nor needy.

He treated this behaviour like a regular Day Job one would go to, work at, then leave and go home.

The man had a house, wife, kid, a regular life, in Las Vegas.

What does this have to do #littleFedi cf. Mastodon?

My first year or so being on my original Mastodon Instance, I didn't realize how many hours I was spending there everyday, I often lost track of that time.

I consider that an "anti-pattern" I wish to avoid.

I wasn't spending "money" as one does at a Casino, I was spending time.

The direction of LittleFedi provides for what I consider "patterns" which I wish to enjoin in.

Accessing the Fediverse via this LittlefFedi approach does not feel like a Casino.

And with that, I going outside to enjoy this Sunny September Saturday around Toronto.